First new deep coalmine in UK for 30 years gets go ahead

Planning permission granted to Cumbria project that will extract 2.7m tonnes of coal per year

Plans to open the UK's first new deep coalmine in 30 years have been given the go-ahead by councillors in Cumbria.

West Cumbria Mining (WCM) said it plans to mine under the seabed to extract around 2.7m tonnes of metallurgical coal annually, which is solely for use within industry and not for power stations. Steel and chemical factories in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire and Port Talbot are expected to burn the coal's output, with the company arguing that the coal will replace imports and will not increase emissions because it will not be shipped over from the US.